Homemade Vegetable Soup & Cornbread

This vegetable soup is one of my favorite things for my mom to cook.

It's just so warm and comforting.

Here's what you need:

Crushed Tomatoes

Cubed Ham or a Ham bone with ham still on it

Water

Salt

Pepper

Frozen Mixed Veggies

Potatoes, washed, peeled, and chopped

1. Add the crushed tomatoes, cubed ham or ham bone to a large pot.

2. Cover with water and simmer for at least an hour.

My mom recommends to let it simmer and the refrigerate it overnight. The next day, scrape off the extra grease from the top of the soup.

I have no patience so I didn't do that!

Probably should have.

3. On medium heat add the frozen mixed vegetables. I used a bag of peas, carrots, and corn and added a few handfuls of frozen okra I had. 

4. After the vegetables have been cooking for a while, add the chopped potatoes.

I peeled my potatoes but you certainly don't have to.

Test your potatoes after about 10-15 minutes to see if they are done.

If they are ready, so is the soup.

Yummmm

Now for the Cornbread...

The recipe requires a small cast iron skillet.

Here's what else you need:

Vegetable or Canola Oil

Martha White's Cornmeal Mix

1 Egg

1 Cup of Milk

1. Put two tablespoons of oil into the cast iron skillet and place it in a cold oven.

Turn the oven onto 450 degrees.

2. In a heavy duty bowl, add 1 cup of the cornmeal mix, one egg, and one cup of milk. Stir to combine.

The batter needs to be soupy and not think.

Sometimes, my mom adds a teaspoon of vinegar to the mixture and then lets it sit for a little bit.

It makes it more like buttermilk.

She adds the milk after the vinegar sits with the batter for a while.

3. When the oven reaches 450 degrees, take the skillet out, add the oil into the batter, and slowly stir to combine. Make sure your bowl is heavy duty because the oil will be super hot.

4. Pour the batter into the same skillet you just used and put it into the oven at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes. 

You want it to be nice and golden brown on the top.

Once the cornbread is ready, take it out of the oven and flip the skillet over onto a plate or platter.

Mmmmmmm

This is how I eat my soup and cornbread.

Love. love. love. 

I think I will go fix another bowl right now.